


A Birthday Wish

by Wandering_Starmaster



Category: Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997)
Genre: Birthday, Birthday Cake, Child Loss, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Family, Grief/Mourning, Heartwarming, Mother-Daughter Relationship, Talking To Dead People, Wishes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-25
Updated: 2020-09-25
Packaged: 2021-03-08 05:01:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26639983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wandering_Starmaster/pseuds/Wandering_Starmaster
Summary: It's Aerith's birthday, and Elmyra does a little something to mark the occasion.
Kudos: 2





	A Birthday Wish

**Author's Note:**

> Originally published on FF.net on Aerith's birthday

The oven timer went off and Elmyra opened the oven, filling the kitchen with the sweet smell of freshly baked cake. It was a small one, it didn't have to be large, not right now, at least. She let it cool, frosted and decorated it, then placed the candles on it before bringing it to the table. She set it down and lit the candles then sat at one end of the table.

"Happy birthday, Aerith." She said, looking over at the empty chair opposite her. She looked down at the candles, two large block number types. 27, five years. Elmyra let out a slow breath. Five birthdays her dear daughter hadn't seen. Five years for those delightful memories to grow more distant. "You might be wondering why I still do this." She said. "I know you would want me to move on, and I have, as much as I can." She closed her eyes. "But...I still miss you. They say you've gone off to the Promised Land. That you're with your people now, your real mother. And here I am. Perhaps it's selfish of me, but I wasn't ready to let you go."

She closed her eyes as tears began to well up. "You were the best daughter I ever could have hoped for. You came to me at the darkest moment of my life and filled it with light. Those fifteen years were a delight. Oh, there were bad days and hard times, you had a tendency to find trouble and I even had to ground you once or twice, but looking back I don't remember them as much. I just remember your smiling face and bright laughter."

She opened her eyes and looked across the table again. "And you know what? I would do it all again. Even knowing how it ends, I would do it over a hundred times even. I would rather have the pain of losing you than face the emptiness of never having you in my life."

She looked down at the cake. The candles now had sizable valleys in their tops. "I know on your birthday you're supposed to get a wish, but would you mind if I took it?" She gave a small smile. "How did you put it? 'Just a tiny little wish?' Rather selfish of me, I know." She clasped her hands before her on the table, eyes closed.

"I wish…I wish I could just hear your voice again, one more time."

As she sat there, there seemed to come a warmth from nearby. She heard or felt the sound of someone blowing and when she opened her eyes, the candles were out, strings of smoke curling in the air above them. A light weight wrapped itself around her shoulders and she had the impression of soft lips pressed against her temple.

" _I love you, Mom."_

Elmyra smiled through her tears, looking up toward the kitchen window, seeing brilliant emerald eyes reflected back at her. "I love you too, Aerith."

The others would be arriving later today, and they would spend the evening reminiscing about their beloved flower girl. But that was later.

For now, Elmyra was glad to have this time together. Just the two of them.


End file.
